Ormond’s two-strike, two-out single in bottom of sixth breaks tie, helps Liberty claim regional crown

BARRY, Ill. — Years from now, when people talk about Friday night’s Class 1A softball regional championship game, most will remember Camdyn Ormond’s sixth-inning single through the right side of the infield that brought home the winning runs for Liberty in a 3-1 victory on Friday night at Western High School.

Pleasant Hill coach Ryan Lowe won’t forget one particular pitch on the previous batter.

The score was tied at 1-1, and the Wolves had recorded two outs in the bottom of the sixth. The second out ruined what appeared to be a rare chance for Liberty to score, but when courtesy runner Josie Hocking tried to advance from second to third on a pitch that briefly got away, Wolves catcher Makenna Winchell tracked down the ball and gunned her down.

Pleasant Hill pitcher Ava Wombles walked Chandler John, but she got ahead of Claire Obert with one ball and two strikes. She then fired a pitch that was outside, but Obert started to swing … then hesitated.

The home plate umpire didn’t call it a swing, but he asked for help from the base umpire — who did not have an ideal view because he was positioned near the shortstop since a runner was on first base. The base umpire said Obert didn’t swing, either.

Obert eventually drew a walk, bringing Ormond to the plate for her heroics on an 0-2 count.

Lowe, sitting on a bucket outside the first-base dugout about 30 feet from home plate, had a perfect angle to observe Obert’s swing.

“We thought we had the strikeout,” Lowe said. “I don’t know if the base umpire wasn’t watching or what, but I think everybody here thinks (Obert) struck out. I thought she had about three-quarters of a swing.

“That’s the way it goes. They’re not going to see them all. It was a well-placed hit (by Ormond). It’s not like it was a shot to the fence or anything like that. She put a good swing on it and stuck it between our first baseman and second baseman. You second-guess yourself a little bit for the pitch call there. You’re not going to win them all.”

“It was close. It was really close,” Eagles coach B.J. Fessler said. “I think if the (field) umpire could have been in a better position, it might have gone the other way, but we’ll take it. That’s the ups and downs of the ballgame.”

Once Obert reached base, Fessler was confident that Ormond would come through. 

“Our lineup is legit,” Fessler said. “We’ve got power up and down the lineup. I believe in all these girls that they can get the job done. I just told her to go the other way. It was a perfect example of hitting. She did a great job. Way to do her job.”

Ormond, hitting .338 this spring, said she had no luck against Wombles during the season.

“I was a little nervous and a little excited,” she said. “I’ve been practicing hitting against (Wombles’) speed, so I felt pretty comfortable. I was just trying to make contact, and I’m lucky I did. … I’m so blessed to be able to play this game and have this opportunity. I was just excited for our team and for our future.”

Courtesy runner Leila Parkhill scored from second, and when right fielder Abi Henderson mishandled the ball, Fessler madly waved Obert around third for an insurance run.

Liberty’s work wasn’t done, but pitcher Chandler John took care of the Wolves in the top of the seventh. After striking out Maddie Sidwell, John induced a comebacker from Kate Hubbard. Abby Coy then grounded out to shortstop Ava Heming, and John was mobbed inside the pitcher’s circle.

John allowed just three hits and one walk in the complete game effort. Wombles also turned in a solid game in the circle, allowing five hits and walking two. 

“Chandler pitched one heck of a game. Excellent command,” Fessler said.

Liberty scored first thanks to a throwing error in the second inning. Pleasant Hill rebounded to score in the third inning when Henderson singled, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Lyla Higgins and scored on a throwing error.

“We’ve been preparing for (a low-scoring game) all week,” said Lowe, whose teams have won three of the past four regional titles. “We couldn’t make mistakes, and we had to try to make them make mistakes. We knew it was going to be a tight ball game. They’re a good, solid softball team. They don’t make many mistakes.

“I’ve been lucky to win a couple of regionals, and this one, I felt like I was pretty unlucky. That’s the way it goes. That’s why you play the game.”

The Wolves’ season ends at 15-10. Liberty (23-5) tied a school record for victories in a season and advances to the semifinals of the Class 1A Concord Triopia Sectional, where it will play at 5 p.m. Tuesday against Delavan, which upset Illini Bluffs 1-0 on its home field on Friday night. 

“The girls need to enjoy this,” Fessler said as his players milled around the infield taking photos with their friends and families. “These regionals are hard to get, especially when you’ve got an opponent like that to play against.”